December promises twinkly lights and cosy moments, yet many parents feel like they’re sprinting through a minefield. I open up about the invisible load that spikes stress during the holidays—noise, judgment, lost routines, sensory overload—and explain why your nervous system interprets it all as danger. When the body tips into fight, flight, or freeze, calm isn’t a choice you’re failing to make; it’s a state you can learn to access with fast, reliable tools.

We unpack the zones of regulation for parents—blue, yellow, red, and green—and walk through a relatable holiday scenario to show how we slide from steady to overwhelmed in small steps. Then I share a three-step reset you can use anywhere: notice, name, navigate. You’ll learn a one-minute breath pattern to switch off threat mode and a 5-4-3-2-1 grounding sequence to anchor back in the present. From there, we get practical about hotspots: setting boundaries for family gatherings, using code words and pre-planned exits, lowering the bar to get out the door, and choosing “good enough” bedtime routines after big days.

The heart of this conversation is a reframe: you’re not a bad mum; you’re a tired human carrying a load most people can’t see. Perfection is brittle, but presence is resilient. Trade the Instagram script for small, humane choices that protect your energy and your child’s regulation—leave early, say no, order takeaway, let the outfit go, and pick connection over performance.

If you’re craving steady ground, join the Seven-Day Calm Parent Challenge. For £10 you’ll get daily guidance, audio support, a private community, and a live Q&A to help you map triggers, practise resets, set boundaries, and release guilt. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review to help more parents find these tools. Let’s choose present over perfect together.

👉 Join the 7-Day Keeping Calm Challenge (£10)

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